Ballad of the Sea and the Tempest
by Aigotnojams
Summary: She's a gentle sea. He's a raging tempest. When these two start their journey together, the sea becomes drawn to the tempest and the tempest awakens the hidden potential of the sea.
1. Chapter 1

**OXO** Helloooo~ thank you for checking this out. I'm new to posting online though I've written a couple fanfics mostly just for fun. Please be patient with me. I know it won't be that good. But here goes. See you at the end maybe. One Piece doesn't belong to me. Enjoy reading! **OXO**

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Collision Course

 _Breath in._

 _Breath out._

 _Breath in._

 _Breath out._

Seinah carefully sat behind a couple of wooden crates in an alleyway as she hid from her pursers. Storm grey eyes peered over one of the crates, watching as people passed by unaware of the person hiding in the shadows. Under the black newsboy cap was short dark blue hair that barely brushed her shoulders and lightened to a soft blue at the tips. She dressed more like a boy with a green sweater a bit too big and shorts that were more like capris on her, covering most of her olive skin and hiding her small frame.

The girl slowly stood up, her boots crunching some pieces of glass as she carefully listened. She didn't hear any of the shouting she previously heard while she was being chased. She hadn't been here long, no more than a week, but somehow managed to find trouble. Seinah's a rather unlucky person or she claims herself to be. All she was doing was staring at the exotic flowers of brilliant colors around the town's stature of the island's founder when she accidentally bumped into someone. That someone turned out to be a pirate captain.

Now here she is, hiding in an alley like a frightened animal. She doesn't know much about this island other than it's a trading hub and a well known resort that many people flock too when they can.

"Where's that little bitch?"

Seinah quickly ducked down behind the crates and held her breath when a familiar voice reached her ears. She heard heavy footsteps stop not too far away from her hiding spot. If they find her she is more than dead. She doesn't have anyway to protect herself and hates violence. It would have been safer if she had just stayed on her home island, but there's nothing for her there anymore.

"I swear I saw her go this way Captain."

"Sneaky little snake. No one runs into me and gets away with it. Find her before I teach you guys a lesson!"

It took a few moments before it went back to the normal sounds of people passing by and chatting among themselves. Seinah waited several minutes before she dared to move. She peered over the crate again, carefully moving her small body from out the back alley into the bright streets. The summer sun blazed down on her, making her eyes close from the exposure. When her eyes adjusted, she glanced around. She didn't see any of those men from earlier and a shaky sigh of relief passed her soft pink lips.

"But now where do I go?"

She's pretty sure the trading ship she payed to be on is gone by now. There is the chance of starting her life over here. Even though it is an idea, Seinah doesn't feel like she'd be useful here. Her skills are more qualified for being out on the ocean than on land. She shook the roaming thoughts from her head and just focused on avoiding the pirates. But her brief time with luck just expired.

"Captain! I found her!"

Her heart jumped into her throat and her body went into flight mode. She was thankful the streets weren't too full of people and they were smart enough to get out of the way when they saw her sprinting towards them. Though the shouts were growing faint behind her again, she wasn't going to stop. She kept going, reaching the harbor and running along the damp wooden planks of the boardwalk. She looked around back towards town, seeing a couple of the pirates running on the upper wall.

The moment she looked back, she slammed right into someone. She fell back on her butt hard and the person she knocked into went face first into the planks with a loud grunt. Seinah grumbled at the stinging pain, but quickly forgot it as she stood up and noticed a man in a white shirt with a green sash laying flat on his stomach. She hesitated to approach him when she noticed three swords on his belt. But the guilt of knocking him down forced her to apologize.

"A-ah I'm so sorry sir! I didn't...didn't mean to run into you."

There was no reply. Instead she watched as the man pushed himself off of the boardwalk and stood up. He turned around, he face slightly red from the impact and just glared at her with dark eyes. Seinah backed up a little under his gaze.

"S-sorry..." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Watch where you're going next time kid."

His husky tone made her stomach twist. "Yes yes of course sorry."

Without saying another word, he turned around to leave. Her heart refused to slow down as she watched him walk away. Something about him seemed so different from other people she has meet in her short travels.

A sudden hand on her shoulder made her jump and she let out a scream that was quickly muffled. The heavy scent of cheap alcohol filled her nose. She tried to squirm away, but the grasp around her was too strong.

"Finally got ya," a male voice whispered in her ear. She could smell the man's rotten breath. "Captain just wants to talk to you that's all. Come quietly and don't make a scene."

Seinah stopped squirming and the man moved his arm away from her mouth a little. She took the chance and bit down hard into his hand. That made him let go completely, letting out a shout as she scampered in the direction of the green haired swordsman. She grabbed him by the arm, turning him around to face her purser and hid behind him. It was the perfect shield with his tall stance and broad shoulders. He tried looking behind him and shaking her off, but her grip was too tight on his shirt.

"That hurt you fuckin' bitch! You even made me bleed. What the hell's wrong with your teeth?"

She looked from behind the swordsman, but didn't say anything. The pirate stopped just inches away from the taller man, eyeing him like an eagle looking for prey.

"You know this little girl?"

"Am I suppose to?"

The man tilted his head to the right, staring at Seinah. "If you don't then hand her over."

Seinah cowered the best she could behind her human shield; her shaky hands clenching the white fabric of his shirt. She doesn't know what she's doing. Instinct told her to go after the green haired stranger. She felt safe around him. But she doesn't know if this will help her or make her more into trouble. With her luck, trouble is literally right around the corner.

"Why would I do that?"

He's serious tone with the question made Seinah flinch. Was he really protecting her? Or...

"Come on man. You don't know her and my captain wants to have a chat with her."

The swordsman scratched the back of his head, causing the three golden earrings in his left ear to clink together. "It looks like she doesn't want to go with you."

"She's just being stubborn that's all. Just hand her over already."

"Don't see why I should. Get lost before you make my mood even worse."

The pirate didn't move. "I'm not leaving until you hand over the girl."

The swordsman placed a hand on one of the hilts of his blades. "I'm not going to repeat myself. She doesn't want to go with you and I'm in a bad mood to be arguing with a little shit like you."

Seinah was starting to think this was a bad idea. A very bad idea.

"Tch have it your way then. We'll get her soon."

The pirate took awhile before he finally left, grumbling to himself as he vanished with the street goers. Seinah stepped away from the grumpy shield, feeling a little less tense now that the other man is gone. She carefully looked up at the green haired man and flinched when she noticed he was glaring down at her. He looked really mad.

"S-sorry...I just acted without thinking..."

He stepped before her, his broad stance looming over the small girl. "You owe me."

"Uh s-sure. What do you want?"

It looked like he was about to answer when Seinah heard something growl. A few moments of silence pass before she realized it was his stomach that growled. They stared at each other in silence until Seinah felt her cheeks warm under his gaze and glanced away.

"I could...find a place for you to eat at. Is that okay?"

"Fine."

He walked past her, back up towards the streets. Seinah watched him for a few seconds before following after him. She stayed behind him, cautiously looking around her for those men. All she saw were townspeople enjoying the summer day without much care. She felt envious of them as she remembered her not so pleasant upbringing. All the strict rules she had to follow. All the do's and don'ts. The lack of freedom.

When she looked back towards the front, the swordsman was gone. She froze in her tracks, panic rushing through her veins and her heart beat quickened. She whipped her head around several times. He wasn't in sight. It was just unfamiliar faces all around. But the biggest feeling of relief overcame her as she spotted the odd colored hair and the three swords going the opposite direction he originally was going in. She chased after him, grabbing his arm when she reached him and looked down when he faced her.

"You're going the wrong way," she mumbled.

He didn't say anything and shrugged her hand away. She quickly took a hold of his wrist, leading him back down the street. Her heart barely calmed down. The way he glares at her makes a shiver race down her spine. While he looks dangerous and has the presence of a killer, Seinah doesn't feel like she's in danger around him compared to when that pirate got a hold of her. And she doesn't even know the guy.

"Will you let me go dammit?" he asked in his low voice.

"I'm making sure you don't get lost."

"What the hell are you talking about? I wasn't lost."

"You were going in the wrong direction."

A pause. "No I wasn't."

Her hand tightened around his wrist. "There are restaurants this way."

There wasn't a reply. Just bitter grumbles, but he didn't try to take his arm back. Seinah kept her head down as she continue leading him to the food district of town. Each town, all 4 of them, on this resort island are divided into different sections. Food, shopping, residential and entertainment. It's a neutral island; many people from all over the Grand Line come here. Pirates, nobles, ordinary people and sometimes Marines. But even with the neutral status, there's still problems. Especially with pirates. Seinah's been hearing that more and more pirates are making their way through the Grand Line in search for the treasure left behind by the greatest pirate to ever have lived.

She stopped, still holding onto the swordsman's wrist when the scent of opened door restaurants welcomed her. There were fancy ones, small coffee shops, bakeries and ones more for families. Seinah shyly looked over at the man behind her. He was still glaring, causing her to glance away once again.

"Where do you want to eat?" she asked quietly.

"Wherever is fine."

Seinah pursed her lips into a slight pout and led him down the street to the last eatery on the right. It looked like a small ramen shop with bright red curtains covering the top half of the entrance. She looked up at the man behind her as she let his arm go finally. He wasn't looking at her this time. He just walked in and sat at one of the stools. Seinah took a quick glance around for those men before sitting next to him. He already ordered his food and Seinah quickly ordered hers; a large spicy shrimp bowl. Now they wait in silence. Until Seinah found the courage to speak.

"M-my name is Seinah. And you are?"

"Zoro."

"Nice to meet you. Again sorry for what happened."

He didn't reply.

"I didn't mean for you to get mixed up in that. And sorry for running into you."

No response again. She glanced over. He was staring straight ahead, watching the elderly lady make the bowls of ramen. It was a very focused and piercing gaze. Her eyes followed his strong jawline and along his Adam's apple down to his shirt covered torso and following up his toned arms. Such strong slightly roguish features...

"You stare a lot."

His voice made her jump and quickly looked down in her lap with a reddening face. "S-sorry."

"And you apologize a lot."

"...sorry."

It was back to the silence when two steaming bowls of freshly made ramen was placed before them. The scent of Seinah's spicy shrimp made her mouth water. Zoro was already eating his. Seinah broke apart a set of chopsticks and shoveled a huge bite into her mouth. She's never had food like this before back on her home island and it almost made her cry from how amazing it tastes. She looked over to her left, seeing the swordsman almost done with his.

"How...how is it?"

"It's good."

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 **OXO** Was that okay? Sorry if the chapter seemed too dry or long. It'll get better. I hope. Went through a lot of re-writes. New chapters will be posted when I get the time and this is rated M just to be on the safe side. That's it for now. Thank you for reading. Annyeong! **OXO**


	2. Chapter 2

**OXO** Helloooo~ thank you for taking the time to read this. The summary is real cheesy I know. Wasn't entirely sure what to put there. The title's cheesy too. Thank you very much for the review! It really means a lot. One Piece doesn't belong to me. See you at the end. Enjoy reading! **OXO**

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Naive Stormy Eyes

"So you're a pirate?"

"Uh-huh."

"With a ship and crew?"

"Mh-hmm."

"And a flag with skull and crossbones?"

"Yup."

This girl Seinah has to be one of the oddest people Zoro has met. Maybe being close to as odd as Luffy. Many people feel intimidated around him. Both those that know him and those that don't. After her initial fear of him vanished, she turned into a naive girl who's full of curiosity and doesn't seem to stop talking. Zoro had finished a second bowl of ramen since he's not paying for it and asked for sake to drink as she blabbed away.

Zoro could tell she hasn't been weathered by the oceans nor seen the terrors of the world. Despite wearing drab clothing too big for her, she was proper and talked with formality. Definitely not how a veteran of the Grand Line acts.

"I've always liked pirates. They have such amazing stories whether they are real or not," the girl next to him said after she finished another barrage of questions; asking about his crew and his ship which he absentmindedly answered. "I had to sneak out of my home to go listen to the pirates around the bars when I was younger."

"Aren't you still too young to be hanging around bars?"

"I'm 19..."

Zoro took a sip of sake. "Really."

"Yes really."

"You look like a kid."

She sighed softly. "I've been told that several times."

It went back to being silent. Zoro shifted his body a little to watch the two toned haired girl. She was just finishing up her second bowl, carefully drinking the broth. Her face was full of life and more rounded compared to other girls around her age, giving her an innocent carefree appearance. Her feet weren't even close to touching the ground and she swung them back and forth. From what he can see, she has a lithe figure. Slender arms, delicate fingers, soft curve of her neck. Definitely not a fighter. _'What's someone like her doing here on the Grand Line?'_

"That was quite good," Seinah said more to herself as she set the bowl down. "The food is so different on this island compared to my home."

Zoro found himself asking a question despite telling himself he wasn't interested in knowing her story.

"Are you traveling with anyone kid?"

She pouted slightly and avoided his stern gaze. "I am not a kid and no I'm not. I payed a merchant ship captain to take me to the next island he was going to. Never expected he would end up going all the way to the Grand Line. I'm originally from the West Blue and I've heard many stories about this place. All the dangers and wonders."

There she goes again. Spouting an assortment of words with a smile on her face like a child telling some fairy tale. The swordsman just sat there, resting his head on his propped up arm as he watched her talking about the stories she heard about the Grand Line. Hearing stories is one thing. Actually seeing the bizarreness is another story. Many pirates fabricate tales for attention while others can barely speak of the terrors hidden along the oceans.

Zoro looked up as he began thinking about all the weird things he has seen. Dinosaurs, giant sea monsters, sky islands with a monstorous snake and a lightning wielding maniac. To him, all of them were just experiences to help him get stronger. The more enemies he defeats, the closer he is to beating Hawkeye Mihawk.

"Mr. Zoro?"

The soft spoken voice of the stormy eyed girl snapped him back to reality. He looked back, noticing Seinah a few good centimeters away from his face. She had a gaze full of wonder, like this was the first time seeing another person other than herself. He placed his index finger on her forehead and pushed her face away before standing to leave.

"We're even now kid."

He left, expecting the girl to go on with her own business. But he barely took a few steps when he felt a tug on his shirt. He turned his head, meeting the stare of the big eyed, blue haired girl with pink tinged cheeks. There was a slight look of fear in her grey gaze. She looked like she was afraid to be left alone.

"What?" he snapped, probably too harshly because she flinched and looked down.

"Ah well I-I just thought I...could walk with you for a bit."

"Because that asshole and his captain are still looking for you and you want to hang around me so they stay away from you right?"

That was exactly it. She avoided his gaze, pressing her index fingers together from embarrassment. Looks like he was right about her not being a fighter, but he really doesn't have the time to babysit a total stranger. It's none of his business or concern what happens to her. But a very small part of him would feel guilty if something did happen to her when he could've done something to stop it. He sighed heavily.

"Fine, but don't expect me to save your sorry ass if you get into trouble."

He face lit up like the sun shining from behind dark clouds. Zoro practically stomped off with Seinah behind him, a little to his right. Her presence was a bit difficult to describe. It was very much like an innocent child, but at the same time it was very mature. He glanced over his shoulder, watching her as he kept walking. She had a small pale leather journal which she was writing in with the look of awe upon her face. She almost walked into several people and each time she apologized and bowed her head.

"Do you have to do that?" Zoro asked after she apologized to someone for the eighth time.

"I don't want to be rude and I don't mean to run into anyone."

"You mean crash into people so they face plant."

"T-that was an accident!"

"One that hurt like a bitch."

"I said I was sorry," she mumbled. "And I did treat you to food and you said we're even now."

"Yeah, but it still hurt like a bitch."

There wasn't a reply from the girl behind him. Instead he was stopped by Seinah grabbing his arm.

"We're outside of town."

Zoro looked around them. They were in fact in the outskirts of town where the buildings turned into soft hills with waist high grass and willow trees. A breeze rustled the grass and shook the leaves gently.

"How the hell?"

"You just wandered around aimlessly. Do you know how to walk in a straight line?"

"Shut it kid." He huffed past her back towards town, but again was stopped by Seinah. "What the hell is your damn problem?"

"I'm going to hold on to you so you don't wander off and try to get lost again."

"I don't need you to hold onto me like I'm some damn puppy!"

"Do you even know where you're going?"

"Yeah now let me go."

Her grip tightened. "You'll get lost again so I'll help you get to where you want to go."

While her voice stayed calm, it almost sounded like she was mocking him. Her attempt at making a serious face was laughable. Her cheeks were slightly puffed out and her gaze looked too innocent to be serious. He couldn't help, but snort at her stupid looking expression.

"You look like a damn chipmunk."

Color rose in her cheeks. "T-that's rude. Where is it you're going anyway?"

"Back to my ship. Let me go already so I can find my way back."

"I'll lead you to the harbors then I'll let you go."

Before he could argue, Seinah nearly dragged him back into town. Zoro didn't notice before, but her grip was pretty strong even though she's a short little shit. At least her hand wasn't shaking like the last time when she hid behind him. He saw genuine fear on her face when that pirate guy tried to get her. She was probably holding onto him tightly out of that same fear. That's the only reason he thinks she's sticking around him. And it's a bit annoying.

"Can you seriously let me walk on my own kid?"

She kept walking with his arm grasped in her hand. "You'll get lost."

"Say that again and you'll be crying."

"I don't think you're friends would want to spend all day trying to look for you. It'll be easier if I take you back to the harbors."

"I don't need your help and would you quit sounding like a smartass?"

Seinah glanced over with a pout and blushing face. "I'm just pointing out the obvious."

He was starting to get irritated, but didn't say anything back. This spat could probably go on forever and Zoro didn't feel like wasting his time arguing with the blue haired brat dragging him down the streets of town. Her grip on him had relaxed a bit, yet she was still being cautious. She was looking around her surroundings, taking in every detail. While she may not have the skills to fight, Zoro believes she's extremely smart. A survivalist type of person rather than a hunter.

"May I ask you something Mr. Zoro?"

 _'Again with more questions...'_

"What?"

"How exactly did you become a pirate?"

"I was made to."

She glanced over with a quizzical look. "How were you made to?"

He met her gaze with a stern one, making her blush a little. "It's a long ass story I don't feel like telling."

"But most pirates choose to be one on their own free will. If you were made to be a pirate, why are you still one?"

She does have a point, but he wasn't going to admit that. Being a pirate has it's advantages. The chances of him finding Mihawk on his own are very slim. But near the start of his pirate life, he came across the world's greatest swordsman by chance. He was defeated badly yes. Yet now he can use his new life to get stronger. So it really isn't all the bad being a pirate. Even with the crew he's stuck with can be giant pains in the ass.

"There are somethings you get use to after awhile," he said. "If you aren't strong enough and you choose to be a pirate, you won't last long."

"Is that right?"

"Then you get the types like you wandering around without a single idea what the hell you're doing."

The girl before him went quiet and stopped suddenly, her entire body tensing and her grip went back to being really tight. Without saying anything, she yanked him towards an alleyway between two clothing shops, shoving him as far back as possible and almost making him go face first into a wall. He was going to chew her out, but a hand covered his mouth. He could see the fear clear as day in Seinah's eyes again.

"She was with who?"

A booming voice spoke and it made Seinah flinch. That must be one of the people after her.

"Some green haired bastard with a buncha swords. It didn't look like they knew each other though."

That was a voice he recognized. It was the guy on the harbor. Seinah had removed her hand and hid in the shadows, staying as still as possible. Zoro stayed where he was.

"You dumbass! That man must have been that pirate hunter. They know each other now. We'll wait until nighttime to find her then. For now, you assholes failed to bring me the damn bitch. And we all know what that means."

"But Captain-"

"But nothing! I'm the man that's going to become King of the Pirates and I refuse to let some little snot walk into me and think she can get away from it. All of you back to the ship and start cleaning! No food until every single piece of dirt is gone."

The voices vanished, but Seinah stayed silent in the shadows. Zoro stepped out of the alley and looked around. He didn't see anyone that resembled a pirate and the streets were starting to become sparse of people as the sun began to make its descent.

"They're gone now."

"I can see that."

Seinah popping up next to him made him jump. "Holy shit! Don't do that!"

"Do what?" she asked with a tilt of her head, looking confused. "I'm just standing next to you."

"You popped out of fucking nowhere! I'm not someone you should sneak up on."

"But I didn't sneak up on you. I just walked out of the alleyway to stand next to you."

He flicked her forehead. "Make some more noise next time."

"Owww okay okay I'm sorry. The harbors are just over there," she stated, pointing to the ship filled bay while rubbing her forehead. "And your ship is which one?"

"The small one with the sheep head."

Seinah took him by the wrist and went straight for the boardwalk. Zoro wasn't even going to bother arguing this time because he knew she wasn't going to listen. She wasn't looking around either. Just kept going down along the wooden planks to one of the last ships which was the _Going Merry_. As soon as she heard someone yelling from above, she was right back behind Zoro hiding.

"Hey look it's Zoro! And who the heck is that?"

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 **OXO** Made it to the end? I'm going to try to make the chapters over 2000 words which probably seems like a lot. Thank you again for taking time to read this. Feel free to leave a review. Suggestions comments random thumbs up. They will help with the advancement of the story. Annyeong! **OXO**


	3. Chapter 3

**OXO** Helloooo~ sorry for being a bit late. I'm sure as everyone knows this lovely site has been so janky lately. It still is. But thank you for reading this if you're able to. One Piece doesn't belong to me. See you at the end. Enjoy reading! **OXO**

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 **Friend**

After Luffy shouted, the rest of the crew gathered around on the deck. Several pairs of eyes stared in Zoro's direction, past him and at the girl hiding. The swordsman reached behind him and cuffed Seinah, dragging her out to the front. She was fidgeting and keeping her gaze away from the others.

"Did you find someone to join my crew Zoro?" Luffy asked enthusiastically.

"No you dumbass. She's-"

The swordsman was pushed aside by Sanji who had a bouquet of roses at hand and the cheesiest smile possible.

"Hello beautiful! You're such a lovely young lady. My name is Sanji. You look just like a shinning sapphire encased in silver; so dazzling beyond words."

The cook took one of Seinah's hands and gently kissed the back of it. Her face went through multiple shades of red. Zoro just rolled his eyes in disgust at the gesture Sanji always does with girls.

"Uh th-thank you um Mr. Sanji."

"Oh no dear you don't have to thank me. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

"I-it's Seinah..."

Sanji got even giddier. "What an exquisite name! And so perfect for you love. What brings you-"

His sentence was cut short by someone flying into him from above, causing him to crash into the water below after bouncing along the planks. Luffy straightened himself out and grinned broadly at the very surprised blue haired girl.

"Hi I'm Luffy. You wanna join my crew?"

The girl was going to answer, but Nami came by and smacked him on the back of the head with a scowl. Sanji had crawled out of the ocean and full on roundhouse kicked Luffy which caused him to fly into Zoro, Usopp and Chopper, sending those three into the bay. Nami watched the confused Seinah as the five boys began to fight with each other. Robin eventually joined Nami and the other girl, giggling in amusement when she say her crew mates fight like little kids.

"It's pretty crazy huh?" Nami said with a sigh.

"Crazy is one word for it. This is entirely different from the stories I've heard about pirates."

"We aren't your typical every day pirates that destroys villages and kills people. Oh I'm Nami by the way. And this is Robin."

The archaeologist smiled softly. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise Ms. Robin. My name is Seinah. Are you guys really pirates?"

"Yup 100%. We may not look big and scary, but we're slowly making a name for ourselves. Which is kind of bad. Oh what exactly were you doing with Zoro?"

"I was helping him find his way back to the ship. That was after he helped me get rid of a pirate that was chasing me," Seinah explained, still watching the boys bickering. "I'm new to this island and got myself into some trouble when I ran into your swordsman."

"And he helped you?"

"Well unintentionally yes he did. Then I treated him to some food as thanks for causing him to be inconvenienced by me and brought him back here afterwards."

"Good thing you did. We would have been looking for him for hours."

Seinah let out a little hum. "So he really does have a terrible sense of direction."

"That's the least of our problems now. There's a line of whirlpools blocking the bay exit," Nami grumbled, pointing towards the open water where several swirling vortexes of different sizes lined the outer bay edge. "Who knows how long we're going to be here."

"That is bad."

Nami was going to reply when a piercing scream broke the early evening calm. The eight people on the boardwalk turned towards the empty dock next to them. There was a small crowd with a woman standing at the edge being held back by a couple of people. She was pointing towards the open water where a small head of a young boy was struggling to stay above the surface, being pulled towards the whirlpools. The pirates weren't really sure if they should do something. Some of the people had made lassos, but kept missing the boy. The currents were too strong to swim in and it'd be impossible to send a small boat out.

Zoro was about to dive in when he felt a breeze rush past him and someone else dove. He wasn't able to see who it was and the person stayed underwater for a long while. Nami rushed to the edge and stood next to the swordsman, looking very worried.

"Is she crazy?!"

"She?"

"Seinah! The currents are way too strong; they'll drag her under!"

 _'The scrawny kid?'_ Zoro stared into the dark whirling waters as was everyone else in silence. A few moments past when the navy hair of Seinah finally became visible for a split second before she dove back under.

"She's fucking insane," he grumbled.

Another short moment and Seinah appeared next to the kid and held him above the surface as he coughed several times to let the water out. She let him sit on her back as she swam against the whirlpool currents with ease like a snake. The child's mother was crying close to hysterically when Seinah approached the dock and pulled herself up with the kid tightly wrapped around her. She stayed over there, bowing her head as everyone gratefully thanked her. She jumped back into the water and swam to the neighboring dock where all the Straw Hats looked stunned and slightly confused. She was just wearing a tank top with short shorts and her sweater, cargo shorts and boots were tossed to the side. When she noticed the pirates staring at her, color rose in her cheeks to a bright red.

"Ah w-why are you all staring?"

"How did you do that?!" Nami exclaimed, pointing at the sea drenched girl.

"D-do what?"

"Swim with those currents!"

"Oh that. Um well you see...I um...my grandmother was a mermaid..."

Even more stares, these ones intense. If Seinah's face could get anymore red it would. Her eyes darted from one person to the next before it landed on the wooden planks to where her discarded clothes lay. Sanji was the first to say something though it was rather outrageous.

"Mermaaaaaaid!" the blond shouted as he danced over to Seinah. "No wonder why you're beauty is so breathtaking Seinah my love!"

"Mermaid? Like part fish?" Luffy asked with a finger in his nose. "You're part fish? That's rea-"

Sanji planted his foot in this face before he could finish speaking. "Shut up dumbass!"

Nami stood in front of Seinah with a questioning look that made the shorter girl step back. "Being a quarter mermaid, did you read the currents or something?"

"Uh I felt them. I-I mean like I knew where to go and where to avoid. I went with the flow of the water."

"Hmm right, but that's not important right now. That was really crazy of you jumping in like that!"

Seinah had the look of defeat. "I know, but I wasn't going to let a child drown."

"Hey hey hey Seesaw! Join my crew!"

Seinah and the others looked over at Luffy who was bounding up and down with a really big smile. He took Nami's place after he ducked under her fist when she tried to hit him. The blue haired girl just gazed at him with uncertain eyes.

"You're really cool Seesaw. Join my crew. We'll have lotsa fun. So join."

"Um I don't...I don't think I have the proper qualifications to be a pirate. I mean I'm a terrible fighter."

"So what? Usopp sucks at fighting, but he's still a pirate."

"Hey I head that!"

"But I...I'm not good enough to be a pirate," she mumbled with her fist clenched at her sides. "I'd just burden everyone."

Luffy laughed loudly. "Being a pirate is fun! We go to different island. Eat a lot of awesome food. See weird animals and people! So join! Because you're really cool so you gotta join."

Seinah met his cheerful gaze that was so overwhelming, like staring into a ball of pure happiness. They had just met her, but Luffy always has a bad habit of asking everyone he meets to join his crew. She looked at the others. The one that enjoyed the idea the most was Sanji. Robin had her usual smile and both Chopper and Usopp were interested in having another person join. Nami heaved a sigh, but smiled brightly when she met Seinah's gaze. Then there's Zoro who really could care less.

The dark haired girl opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Nami started talking to the others about getting ready to leave since the whirlpools slowly began to die down. Luffy stayed where he was, smiling down brightly at Seinah as she went back to staring at the planks and bit her lip.

"Luffy come on we can leave now," Nami said as she tugged on his arm then looked at Seinah. "You don't have to join us. Luffy is just being his obnoxious self. I know we just met, but it would be nice to have another girl join. Besides what you did, saving the kid back there, was impressive though really crazy too."

"Join my crew Seesaw!"

"If she doesn't want to join then she doesn't have to join. Let's go Luffy before the whirlpools come back."

It took all of Nami's strength to drag Luffy away to the ship, leaving Seinah behind staring down. Her body didn't want to move and her voice still refused to speak. Yet her mind was yelling at her. The desire to travel the seas was clawing at her. But the fear of failure was making her hesitate. This might be her only chance to finally start a new life without the constraints of her past.

 _'Say something...come on and say something!'_

"I want to join!"

Her shout rang out as loud and clear as a large bell, making the pirates turn their attention back to her. Luffy looked like he was going to pop from excitement. Seinah was doing her best to keep her face straight and serious as she fully faced the pirates.

"I...I want to travel the different oceans. See all the islands I can. We may have just meet and we know nothing about each other, but...I'd like to know more about you guys. I-if that's okay I mean..."

The straw hat pirate chuckled with his crazy big grin. "Sure thing!"

A smile spread across Seinah's face and her eyes lit up brightly. She quickly pulled her clothes on and chased after Luffy and Nami. Well that's what she wanted to do until someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back, hitting against something hard. It didn't take her long to realize what was happening as an arm wrapped around her neck and a hand grabbed both of her wrists, holding them behind her. The familiar rotten stench came to her nose.

"Finally caught ya you slippery little bitch." The voice of the pirate captain from before was harsh in her ear. "And you lead me right to these amateur pirates."

Seinah felt her heart sink as she struggled against the pirate. She had almost forgotten about the men that were chasing her which she felt like was a very terrible mistake.

"Hey! Let my friend go you jerk!" Luffy shouted.

"Your friend? She needs to be taught some proper manners." He tightened his grasp around her neck when he said that, making her choke out a breath.

Luffy's eyes dangerously darkened under his hat. "Let her go."

"Oh you can have her back when I'm finished teaching her a lesson. Then it's your guys' turn."

What happened next was too quick for Seinah to fully understand. It looked like there was a fist that went right at her face, whizzing past her and hit the man behind her square in the face with a sickening crunch. She fell to the planks with a thud as her vice was released and the man behind her was sent tumbling off of the boardwalk and into the water. Seinah coughed a few times, rubbing her neck. _'What just...happened?'_ She met Luffy's joyous face.

"That was fun! Let's go Seesaw!"

Being around him made her forget about those vile men and smiled up at him.

"Alright!"

* * *

 **OXO** And there's that. Sorry if there are any mistakes. I spend at least a good hour skimming through for any. And yes. She's a quarter mermaid. Call it cliche Mary Sue boring stupid unoriginally it's okay I get it. Anyways I can't thank you enough for taking the time to read this despite it not being that great. I'll do my best though. That's all for now. Annyeong! **OXO**


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